Tag fitness

In today’s information society, you probably are well aware that exercise is the hallmark of a fit and healthy individual.

Today’s sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and even deadly, but how much exercise is enough to significantly impact your fitness and health levels? And if you are just starting out, what can you reasonably do to make a difference?

With more than 80% of all Americans getting less than the required amount of exercise every year, it is crucial that you know exactly what you need to do to positively impact your overall health and longevity.

One major study showed that individuals who exercised intensely for 30 minutes per day actually got better health benefits than those who performed the same exercises for one hour a day. This seems to support other studies which claimed that 30 minutes of moderately intense activity or exercise significantly boosts our immune systems, and is the minimum daily requirement for physical fitness.

The good news is that sedentary individuals can break up those 30 minutes a day down into easier to swallow bite-sized chunks. So, you’ll need to set your schedule for three times a day of 10 minutes of uninterrupted, moderate to intense exercises.

Starting Out Getting Enough Exercise

Just be sure that if you are starting out from a very inactive lifestyle, stretch first, and do not overdo yourself. When just beginning, touching your toes, doing deep knee bends, or performing a few jumping jacks will be enough to get your heart rate up.

Also, the average person can briskly walk at a rate of between 3 and 4 miles per hour, meaning a quick paced one mile walk can be accomplished in just 15 to 20 minutes.

Stand More Whenever You Can

This is something which is feasible for just about everyone, and can be added to your work and home schedules easily. But why is exercise so important? The World Health Organization and other major fitness minded institutions have linked breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity and several heart diseases to a sedentary lifestyle that features sitting as a prominent feature. So remember, “Stand when you can.”

If you are getting 30 minutes of medium to intense physical exercise every day, pat yourself on the back. You are doing what is minimally required to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. And if you are not currently getting at least one half hour of exercise a day, it is never too late to start. Get out of your chair and on your feet for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, and you can avoid the many dangers which a sedentary lifestyle delivers.

10-Minute Verses 30-Minute Workouts

As busy working professionals, finding a 30-minute block of time each day is not always easy. However, almost everyone can find three 10-minute blocks of time per day. But then the question begging to be asked is “Are three 10-minute workouts as beneficial as one 30-minute?” According to exercise experts, the answer is “Yes” and in many cases, three shorter workouts are more beneficial than a longer one.

10-Minute Workout Health Benefits

There are several health benefits derived from multiple, but short, exercise sessions:

• increased metabolism
• heart health
• weight maintenance

Increased Metabolism

Various studies have shown that three short blasts of intense exercise boosts your metabolism more, and keeps it higher longer, than a long but less intense workout.

Heart Health

And shorter workout sessions benefit heart health too. According to a study done by the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University, fractionated exercising was more effective at lowering high blood pressure than longer sessions.

Weight Maintenance

Short workout sessions are great for maintaining your weight or maybe even losing a few pounds. Because most 10-minute sessions concentrate on cardio training, not only are you burning calories while exercising, but as noted above, you keep burning more calories longer due to an increased metabolism.

30-Minute Workout Health Benefits

While three 10-minutes exercise sessions do have their advantages, one 30-minute session per day works better for some people for these reasons:

• available time
• strength training
• losing weight

Available Time

For some working people, especially those with long commutes, it is actually easier to exercise for 30-minutes during the middle of the day than it is to do it either before leaving for work or after getting home.

Strength Training

Weight training lends itself better to longer workout sessions. One way of burning more calories is to increase your lean muscle mass, but in order to do that, you have to do strength training. More muscle mass means you will burn more calories in a given period of time.

Losing Weight

To lose weight, you have to get your body into the “fat-burning mode”. This usually happens at about 20 minutes into your workout, so you can get a good 10 minutes of “burn” in a 30 minute workout; if you are doing 10-minute workouts, you never get to that point.

Doing Both Workouts

Because a balanced weekly workout should include both strength training and cardio, you can get the best of both worlds by doing three 10-minute workouts four days a week and one 30-minute workout each day on the weekend. That way you get both types of training in a full week and still get one day of rest. We already discussed “6 Reasons Not to Skip Your Workout” and next we’ll dive into “Exercise Tips for Those Who Live Sedentary Lifestyles” and some everyday tasks that you can turn into a workout.

If something is fun, you are more likely to stick with it; exercising is no different. It should be something you look forward to doing each workout day. Below are 4 tips to make your next workout something you look forward to doing.

Exercise with a partner

Not only does exercising with another person make you accountable to them, and harder to skip a workout, but it gives you someone to keep you company. That partner can be your better half, significant other, a personal friend or someone you met at the gym. Also it can be safer if you are with someone you know.

Give yourself a challenge

If you exercise, you most likely have a competitive spirit in you. To make things more interesting, give yourself a challenge. That could be anything from exercising more times per week, to walking/running greater distances, to learning new routines or exercises. Whatever it is, you will have more fun if you are working toward some goal.

Vary your routine

Regardless of what you do, if you do the same thing long enough, you will get tired of it. Exercising is no different; to keep your interest level high, vary your exercises or routine. You should be doing cardio, strength training and taking one day off per week anyway, but instead of doing the same cardio routine, mix it up.

Maybe one day you’ll walk or run; another day ride bike; a third day swim laps or do water aerobics. Even if you have different workouts each day that you exercise, don’t get into the rut of doing the same routine on the same day each week. As they say “variety is the spice of life.”

When strength training, focus on working a different set of large muscle group each time you work out. For example, one day do upper body; the next day lower body. Every once in a while surprise your body, and out of the blue, throw in abdominal core routine. Just like in cardio, you can further mix it up by varying the types of exercises you do within each type of workout.

Reward yourself

All of us like rewards as recognition for accomplishing something. Make it a point to reward yourself when you accomplish a fitness goal. It can be anything as long as it is something you enjoy or can use. For instance, maybe you decide to go see a play when you reach your weight-loss goal. Or buy a new exercising outfit because your old one no longer fits.

Usually you want your reward to support the goal you have achieved, but it doesn’t have to. Maybe your reward for reaching your weight-loss goal is a small dish of ice cream or some other food you have been craving. As long as it is in moderation and you do it only this once, go ahead and indulge – celebrate your accomplishment with something you want and will enjoy.

If you keep your workouts fun, you are more apt to stay exercising. Now go out and enjoy yourself!

Here Are 5 Exercises You Can Fit Into A 10-Minute Workout

Study after study has shown that multiple 10-minute intense workouts throughout the day are more beneficial than one 30-minute less intense one. Not only does it rev up your metabolism better, but it keeps at a higher rate for a longer period of time. But to get the maximum effect from an abbreviated workout, you have to increase the intensity.

Here are 5 non-equipment exercises that you can fit into a short workout:

• 50 jumping jacks
• 15 squats
• 15 push-ups
• 15 lunges
• 15 dips

Perform three sets of each exercise. Take a short 10 second break between each set.

Jumping Jacks

Also known as side-straddle hops, this is the same exercise you did as a kid. From the standing position, arms at your side and legs together, jump up and spread your legs to shoulder-width apart or more. At the same time raise your arms over your head and touch your hands together. Then jump up again and return to the starting position.

Squats

The starting position for this exercise is standing up straight, feet shoulder-width apart and arms stretched outward in front of you with your palms facing down. Inhale, tighten your abdominal core muscles and while keeping your back straight as possible, bend at the knees while looking straight ahead. Once your butt is even with your knees, exhale and return to the starting position.

Push-ups

These can be started from the position of either your knees on the floor, or knees up and legs in a straight line with your back. With your weight resting on your arms and keeping your back straight (like you had a board strapped to your back), bend your elbows and lower yourself down to the position where your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push yourself back up to the starting position.

Lunges

From the starting position of standing up, take one big step forward making sure to keep your back straight. Bend your forward knee to about 90 degrees. At the same time, on your other leg, drop the back knee toward the floor, but not touch the floor. Now, push yourself off with your front foot and back to the starting position.

Dips

The last exercise requires a chair, bench or other elevated flat surface. From the starting position of your arms behind you, hands resting flat on the elevated surface, your body at about a 45 degree angle from upright and facing away from your elevated surface, bend your elbows and lower your body down until your forearms are parallel with the floor. Now push yourself back up to the starting position.

Between all of these exercises, you get a good workout of your upper and lower large muscle groups in addition to working your abdominal core in ten minutes of time. Perform the three sets in circuit training fashion, meaning to run through all of the exercises one-time before going back to do the first one again, and enjoy the burn!

In the previous 15 minute fitness tip we took a look at exercising while you’re traveling. Next up, we’ll look at “5 Tips for Exercising When You Are a Stay at Home Mom”.

Unless you are prepared, it can be hard to stay on a fitness routine when traveling. However these 4 tips can make exercising while away from home easier (and even fun).

So, the next time that you need to travel, there’s no reason to worry about how you are going to stay on top of your fitness goals.

With just a little thought, you may discover that taking a break from your usual form of exercise can actually improve the results you’re after.

Think outside of your usual box and most of all while you’re traveling, have fun with it.

1) Pack for success

Part of being prepared is having the things that you need to keep on your exercise regimen with you. These items don’t take up much room and weigh very little:

• Exercise clothing
• Swimsuit
• Jump-rope
• Resistance tubing
• Hand grips
• Music and headphones
• Exercise video or DVD

2) Work out along the way

Wear your exercise shoes when traveling. If traveling by air, you can get some walking in while waiting for your plane to load or during a layover. If driving, stop occasionally at a wayside rest or rest area – someplace safe – to get out and walk. If you travel by train, periodically walk up and down the cars.

3) Take advantage of opportunities

Once you are at your destination, look for ways you can exercise. Usually hotel desk clerks can give you directions to trails or parks where you can walk/run. If you have a membership to a nationally known gym, ask if there one by that name nearby or if there is a gym that has guest or a one-day pass that you can buy.

Many of the hotels have their own small fitness centers on-site where you can get on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or use their elliptical trainer. With the equipment right there, there is no good excuse for not exercising!

Is your hotel room above the ground floor? Take the stairs instead of the elevator! Does the hotel have a pool? Jump in and swim some laps or do some water aerobics.

You can even exercise right in your room. Jump the rope you brought, do some push-ups and crunches, and if your room has a DVD player, throw in an exercise video. If not, put on your headphones and listen to some motivational music while exercising. While watching TV, work the hand-grips.

4) Rent a bike or play a round of golf

If the weather is nice at your destination, consider renting a bike (mountain or otherwise) and ride on some designated bike trails or paths. If you like to play golf, but did not bring your own clubs, rent some and play a round or two of golf while carrying your golf bag.

The point is if you are prepared and motivated to exercise, opportunities abound regardless of where you are. Take advantage of them! Not only will you feel less stressed, but you will be mentally sharper and sleep better.

HIIT Success Tip #1 – Start Slowly

If you’ve never worked out at a high intensity before, then take it slowly.  You can either lengthen the rest time between intervals or you can begin with only one HIIT workout per week. As your fitness improves, you can decrease the rest time.

HIIT Success Tip #2 – Pay Attention to Your Body

In general, experts recommend around three HIIT workouts per week. Consider taking a “three days on two days off” approach. This approach allows you to rest just about the time that delayed onset muscle soreness kicks in.

If you notice that you’re not recovering quickly and muscle soreness has you struggling to get out of bed or in significant pain, cut back on the HIIT workouts. Also realize that some weeks are just better than others. You might have a week where you’re on fire and having great workouts with little soreness.

The next week you may be able to barely finish your second workout. This is a sign from your body to ease up. Pay attention to it. HIIT won’t do you any good if you’re injured, and pushing too hard or too fast can absolutely result in injury.

HIIT Success Tip #3 – Know What to Expect and Be Prepared

HIIT will leave you breathless and flat on your back on the floor. You’ll sweat, a lot. You may feel like you just can’t continue. This is why a heart rate monitor is a good idea. It’ll let you know if you’re in the zone.

If your heart rate is over your maximum heart rate or creeping close, you know to pull back a bit. Conversely, if you’re only at 50% of your max then you know you’re capable of more.

HIIT Success Tip #4 – Mix it Up

Interval training can become boring. If you’re doing the same workout every single time, you’ll lose motivation. With a loss of motivation comes a loss of intensity. To stay engaged and enthusiastic, keep your HIIT program varied. You might look to a personal trainer or a cross fit blog to provide workout ideas.

HIIT Success Tip #5 – Measure the Results

It can be difficult to know just how much you’re gaining from HIIT. Consider not only taking a before and after photograph, but also track your fitness improvements.

Did you run a 200 in the fastest time yet? Did you manage to achieve 100 squats in your squat Tabata? By tracking your workouts and your results, you’ll be able to watch your fitness improve and the weight come off.

HIIT Success Tip #6 – Listen to Music

Intense intervals are exhausting. You may need all of the encouragement you can get. Motivating music is often effective to not only make you feel more energized, it also tends to distract just enough that you’re not focused solely on the discomfort you’re feeling.

HIIT Success Tip #7 – Workout with a Friend

Finally, consider starting a HIIT workout with a friend. You can keep an eye on each other’s form, compete with each other, and help one another say motivated.

High Intensity Interval Training Can Get You over a Fitness Plateau

High Intensity Interval Training is a proven way to improve both your anaerobic and aerobic fueling systems. If you’re looking to overcome a fitness plateau and want to achieve a new personal record HIIT can be the single most important change to your existing program. You’ll burn more fat, lose weight quickly, and improve your fitness; and you’ll accomplish all of this while spending less time working out. How cool is that?

Getting Started with HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training

Interval training means alternating between intensity levels. You generally alternate between low and medium to high intensity. High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short, leaves no room for anything less than your maximum effort.

But what is your maximum effort?

Maximum effort can be measured a number of ways. One simple method is to first identify your maximum heart rate. There are charts that you can use which take other elements into consideration, however you can also find a general range by subtracting your age from 220.

For example, if you’re 40 years old then your maximum heart rate should be 180 beats per minute. With HIIT the goal is to hit about 95% of your maximum heart rate. Continuing with the example of a 40 year old person then 95% of 180 is 171 beats per minute.

Now a normal resting heart rate is generally around 60 beats per minute. So if you’re almost tripling the heart rate then you can image what it feels like. The good news is that this intensity level only lasts for a minute or less.Then you get to rest.

The maximum heart rate method is only effective if you’re performing a cardio workout and if you have a heart rate monitor. If you’re training in sit-ups or pushups then your heart rate doesn’t apply. Instead, you’re performing the movement as fast as you can until your time is up. In twenty seconds you might get 20 sit-ups or 15 pushups if you’re very well trained. In subsequent rounds the number of sit-ups or pushups is likely to decrease as your body fatigues.

So you can use heart rate to estimate intensity. You can also perform a maximum number of reps in a specific amount of time, 20 seconds for example. You can also estimate your intensity level by simply exercising as hard as you can for the duration.

Here’s an interesting tidbit for you, in studies, women tend to be better able to work out at a higher intensity for a short duration than men, based on measurements of their cardiac output and VO2 Max.

Warm Up Before Getting Started with HIIT

It’s important to identify a means for measuring your effort. There’s no right or wrong method and the method you choose may very well depend on the type of HIIT program you choose. Before we talk about creating your HIIT program, let’s discuss the importance of warming up before you work out.

HIIT isn’t something you just get up off of the couch and do. Warming up is essential for proper form, recovery, and to prevent injuries. Your warm up will depend on your chosen program. For example, if you’re going to do a squat Tabata then you might warm up by jogging a quarter mile and then performing 20-30 slow and deep squats. You want to thoroughly warm up the muscles that you’re going to be using.

If you’re going to do a rowing HIIT workout then you might row a slow 250-meter row followed by 20 squats. Then you’d row a medium intensity 250-meter row followed by 10 squats. You’d finish it up with a hard 250 meters at about 75-80% of your maximum effort. Then it’d be time to begin your workout. Your muscles would likely be sufficiently warm.

Skipping this step can result in injury. Remember, when you’re warming up you’re not just warming up your leg or arm muscles. You’re also warming up your heart and lungs and preparing them for your workout. Work out for at least three minutes before any HIIT workout and make sure you feel mentally and physically ready to begin.

Creating Your HIIT Program

High Intensity Interval Training isn’t something you do every day. Most experts recommend performing this type of workout just three times a week. There are different approaches depending on your fitness level, your current fitness program, and whether you’re starting a new fitness program or integrating HIIT into your existing program.

HIIT for Beginners

If you’re new to exercise and fitness or beginning a new fitness program, then you may want to begin with just one HIIT workout each week. You can then gradually increase the number of workouts depending on how your body is feeling.

For example, let’s say you decide that you’re going to start running. Generally, you’ll probably run three to four times each week. One of those weekly workouts would be a HIIT workout. The others would be running for time or distance at a moderate or low intensity level.

What you’ll find with this type of approach is that your running fitness progresses more quickly. Someone who is beginning a running program and doesn’t include a HIIT workout or two each week will not likely reach their running goals as quickly. With HIIT you might hit your goal of being able to run a 5k at eight-minute mile pace in a few months. It might take another beginner runner a full year or more to reach this milestone.

Sticking with running for a minute, in addition to performing a HIIT running workout, you can also perform other strength training workouts for runners. Lunges, squats, and box jumps are all exceptional workouts to consider. You can do these in Tabata format, which is 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest. The work rounds are repeated eight times, which equates to four very intense minutes of exercise.

Integrating HIIT into Your Existing Fitness Program

If you’ve been working out for a while and you have reached a plateau in either your fitness or weight loss, then HIIT can help. Without changing your movements, you can integrate a Tabata or interval type plan into your existing program.

Let’s take cycling as an example. If you’re an avid cyclist, either stationary or on the road, you might ride as hard and fast as you can for 20 or 30 seconds. Decrease the resistance on your bike and increase your repetitions to increase the intensity. You should feel like you can’t possibly continue. If you have a heart rate monitor then go ahead and shoot for that 90-95% of your maximum heart rte.

Remaining on your bike, you’ll then ride at a slower intensity for 90 seconds. You should be able to regain your relaxed breathing by the end of those 90 seconds. Kick it back into gear and ride at a high intensity for another 30 seconds. Recover and repeat. You’re done when you’ve repeated the cycle 8 times.

Whether you run, cycle, row or you love the elliptical at the gym, you can easily apply HIIT to your existing fitness program.

However, you may want to mix it up to stay motivated, engaged, and to strengthen the foundation movements for any given exercise. For example, in order to run faster and longer you need strong hip and gluteal muscles. Squats and lunges are two of the best exercises for improving the strength of those muscles. You can integrate a squat Tabata into your regular fitness routine.

You might run at a moderate pace and distance for three days. One day you perform interval runs and one day each week you do a Tabata squat routine. You’ll undoubtedly notice the difference in your strength and speed after just a few weeks of HIIT.

If you’re not interested in starting a regular fitness program, but would rather try a wide variety of exercise routines, consider creating your own HIIT program.

For example, on Monday you might run 400-meter sprints followed by a rest that is exactly as long as it took you to run 400 meters. If it takes you two minutes to run 400 meters, then you rest for exactly two minutes before running another 400. The next day you might perform a sit-up Tabata followed by a pull-up Tabata on the third day. You’d then take two days off.

On your first day back you might do a push-up Tabata followed by a rowing workout and so on. If you take this approach you’ll probably want to plan your week’s workouts in advance so you don’t have to try and figure out what you’re going to do each day.

Remember to warm up before you work out and to cool down too. The cool down may be as simple as walking for a quarter mile. Let your heart rate and breathing return to normal.
We’ve talked a lot about the different approaches to High Intensity Interval training. Let’s take a look at a few different sample training programs. You can use these programs as they’re written or to help you design your own.

Sample Treadmill HIIT Program

Warm up before you start.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday – Run for 30 seconds at 90-95% your maximum heart rate or as fast and hard as you can run. Rest for 30 seconds. Stop the treadmill and stand or sit. Repeat this process 10 times. If you’re new to HIIT you might rest for 60 or even 90 seconds between each 30-second run.

Tuesday – Rest day.

Thursday – Spot focus. Tabata sit-ups or Tabata push-ups. 20 seconds maximum effort, 10 second rest repeated for eight cycles.

Saturday – Spot focus. Tabata push-ups, squats, or jump rope.

Sunday – Rest day.

The Treadmill HIIT can be changed to be a stationary cycle, elliptical, or rowing machine.

Sample Strength Training HIIT Program

Warm up before you start.

Monday – With a heavy dumbbell in each hand, for example 40 pounds, perform 20 lunges on each side. Rest for three minutes between each round and then repeat four times.

Tuesday – Squat Tabata (you can also back squat, front squat, or overhead squat with a heavy bar 20 reps with a 3 minute rest in between each round). Repeat five times.

Wednesday – Rest day.

Thursday – Rest day.

Friday – 20 seconds of burpees followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for eight cycles.

Saturday – Pull-ups or push-ups Tabata.

Sunday – Deadlift 20 reps followed by a 250-meter row (or run or cycle). Repeat 5 times.

As you can see, any exercise or fitness program can be easily adapted to include HIIT workouts. Whether you hula-hoop, prefer endurance exercise, or enjoy the gym fitness equipment you can get better results by including a few High Intensity Interval Training workouts each week. Before you get started with HIIT, let’s take a look at “Tips for HIIT Success” for some final tips to help you achieve a positive outcome.

Want to Know Why and How HIIT Works?

Chances are your fitness program is primarily cardiovascular. You may walk, run, row, dance or bike. Perhaps you spend most of your time on an elliptical machine, spin bike, or stair stepper.

If you integrate a bit of strength training into your current fitness program then you may have a very well rounded program. And yet you are likely not getting the weight loss and fitness goals you desire. You’re putting in the time and the work but not enjoying the results you truly want.

HIIT can be the game changer, the difference maker, and the solution you’ve been searching for. Here we’ll show you how HIIT works and why it really does produce faster weight loss and fitness results in less time. But don’t take our word for it; let’s take a look at the research and the reason why High Intensity Interval Training is so effective.

Dramatic Fat Burning Results

HIIT has been shown to promote Human Growth Hormone release. This wonderful hormone is a natural one that your body produces. However, as you age the amount of growth hormone decreases. After all, you’re not growing anymore. If you exercise and your muscles and tissues need repair, then HGH is released to help your body repair itself.

When released, HGH also boosts metabolism, burns fat and facilitates muscle building. It also changes the way your body uses and converts energy. Your body does this because it knows you need fuel to repair your muscles and tissues.

The Journal of Obesity reported on a study that showed significant fat burning results after 12 weeks of HIIT. The study focused on young overweight male. They were randomly assigned to a control group or a HIIT group. The HIIT group spent 20 minutes exercising three times a week for 12 weeks.

The majority of the 20 minutes was rest and recovery – between short bursts of intense exercise. And by intense exercise it means that you’re getting up to 95% of your maximum heart rate. The results may surprise you.

The study participants had a reduction of total fat mass that averaged 4.5 pounds. They reduced their visceral fat, the fat under your skin, by 17%. They also showed marked aerobic improvements and their aerobic power increased by 15%.

Some other studies, particularly one published in the journal, Cell Metabolism, seem to indicate that HIIT changes your DNA expression; specifically the genes that are involved in fat metabolism. The study indicates that when you use HIIT as part of your training program, your body automatically turns on the genes that increase your production of lipolytic enzymes, aka fat busting enzymes.

How HIIT Works for Insulin Sensitivity

Diabetes occurs when the insulin receptors become desensitized. It can happen when a person has a diet that is often high in glucose, sugar. The presence of glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin. However, after a prolonged period of this constant signaling to release insulin, your body begins to shut down those insulin receptors.

When this happens, fat storage is increased because the glucose cannot be processed correctly. So a person with a diet that is often high in sugar – like most Americans – begins to gain weight and take steps toward pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

HIIT has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. It makes those insulin receptors work again so your body processes glucose effectively. You don’t store fat, you burn it.

One study looked at volunteers with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. They performed one interval training session and saw improved blood sugar regulation for the next 24 hours. Other studies have shown that middle-aged adults who are fit but inactive were able to enjoy improvements in their insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation after just two weeks of interval training.

Increased weight loss, fat burning, and insulin sensitivity are all spectacular results. However, you may already be at your target weight and not at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. So what are the benefits for you? Can you get better, faster, and stronger with HIIT? You bet you can.

Aerobic Capacity, Endurance, and Strength

High Intensity Interval Training has shown that it provides improved health and fitness for all. A team of Canadian researchers tested a wide variety of men and women at various stages of health – from healthy to fighting cardiovascular disease. The participants performed cycling intervals. All patients showed significant improvements in their health and fitness.

Surprisingly, the cardiac patients showed great improvements and the intense exercise didn’t cause problems for any of the patients.

According to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of endurance training – Shape Magazine

If you’re training for a race or you want to get over a fitness plateau then HIIT may be the ideal program for you. One study found that after eight weeks of doing HIIT workouts, participants could exercise twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

We’ve already mentioned a few of the compelling benefits for integrating HIIT into your current fitness program. Namely, they’re:

• HIIT burns a ton of calories
• More efficient, and shorter, workouts
• Enjoy faster results
• Boost metabolism
• Increased fat burning

However, there are other benefits we’ve yet to discuss. They include:

• You don’t need any equipment to participate in HIIT.
• It’s applicable to just about any workout. From running to weight lifting, you can add HIIT to your program and enjoy results.
• You continue burning calories and fat long after your workout is over.
• It’s seriously challenging, so you won’t get bored.
• It’s quite fun and easy to add to your weekly routine.

So you’ve read the data and you know the facts. You know that if you want to burn fat and get in shape fast then High Intensity Intervals are for you. But how do you get started? Let’s take a look at “Getting Started with High Intensity Interval Training” next and take a look at a few sample HIIT fitness plans.

There are many different approaches to fitness, weight loss, and exercise. As science progresses and more research studies are conducted, new strategies surface. Additionally, as more people become active and start a fitness program, awareness for different techniques and approaches grows.

Introducing High Intensity Interval Training – HIIT

One such approach is called High Intensity Interval Training “HIIT”. It’s a type of training that was actually pioneered by different people at different times. The training that you see today is an adaptation and combination of the initial approaches.

HIIT is an advanced form of interval training. Interval training consists of putting in a moderate effort for a specific period of time and then cranking it up. For example, interval training for a runner might include running at an 11-minute mile pace for five minutes, followed by 8-minute mile pace for one minute. You’d alternate this intensity level for a few cycles.

HIIT is Like Interval Training on Steroids

There’s no steroid use here but HIIT takes it up a notch and truly increases the intensity. With this type of exercise the athlete puts forth a period of high intensity effort followed by a short rest followed by another period of high intensity. One of the most notable HIIT formats is called the Tabata. It is 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest. This is repeated for 8 cycles, or four minutes total.

The Tabata workout can be applied to a number of different exercises. For example, you can squat as many times as you can in 20 seconds, rest for 10 and repeat. You can do pushups, pull-ups, or sit-ups.

You can jump rope or sprint. You can ride your spin bike, row on the rowing machine, or do burpees or lunges. Try the Tabata workout with your favorite movement and experience just what intensity really means.

Another example of HIIT for a runner might be a series of 200-meter sprints followed by 30 second rests. You might sprint on your bicycle for a quarter mile and then slow down to a casual pace to recover. You can apply HIIT to any cardio or strength fitness exercise.

There are numerous considerations before starting a fitness plan that includes HIIT.

Pros and Cons of High Intensity Interval Training

The pros of HIIT are numerous, so we’ll take an in depth look at the research in the first chapter. For now, it’s important to know that HIIT results are astounding.

• Fast weight loss
• Less workout time
• Improved strength
• Improved endurance
• Improved cardiovascular fitness
• Better fat burning
• Decreased abdominal fat
• Decreased insulin resistance
• Reduced risk for cardiovascular disease

So the pros look pretty strong, right? They are. You can truly burn significantly more fat and calories in less time. It means that if you don’t have the time to run for an hour a day but you want the same, or better, results, then HIIT may be right for you.
The Potential Risks of HIIT

With every fitness program and workout, there are risks. The same is true for High Intensity Interval Training. The very nature of the workout means it may not be right for people who have a high risk of a cardiovascular episode. Meaning that if you’ve had a heart attack or are at a high risk for having one, please talk to your doctor before beginning a program like this.

If you are older or have other health complications, it’s also important to talk to your doctor. In most cases you can embrace a HIIT program as long as you do it under supervision. It’s also critically important to pay attention to your body and to fuel it well. We’ll talk more about proper self-care for HIIT later.

So Who’s High Intensity Interval Training Right For?

HIIT is right for you if you:

• Want to lose weight quickly
• Have hit a fitness plateau and want to see improvements
• Have hit a weight loss plateau
• Enjoy intense workouts
• Are looking for a new and exciting fitness program
• Want to get rid of those “problem areas”
• Are pre-diabetic and want to increase your body’s insulin sensitivity

These are just a few reasons to try HIIT. Let’s move forward and take a look at some of that research mentioned earlier. Understanding “Why and How HIIT Works” will help you create a strong fitness program for yourself.

Well, we have arrived at the end of this guide on Hatha Yoga for beginners. Hopefully, we have been able to more than stimulate your interest regarding Hatha Yoga and the Hatha Yoga poses.

As you have read in this guide, Hatha Yoga is a discipline which is anchored on gentle movements. But as gentle as the movements are, we’re very sure that you have also noticed how invigorating some of the poses could be, and that’s because your released energy has been transformed and made more pure.

The breathing exercises as shown in the Hatha Yoga for beginners guide and mentioned in some poses contribute to the purification of the energy that you release. This purer form of energy comes about when the mind gets to shed its burdens.

Meeting Your Hatha Yoga Fitness Goals

As you have experienced while doing the Hatha Yoga poses and especially after each wrap-up, your Hatha Yoga fitness goals can easily be met on three levels (physical, mental, and spiritual), provided that you are willing to go with the flow of the exercises.

It is you, yourself, as the yogi, who can attest to the way that your state of health and wellness are developing. Fitness is not a goal that is achieved in just one sitting, or by investing your passion to attain it, in only a short period. Fitness, particularly when it is pursued through Hatha Yoga, is a process that needs to be sustained and nurtured over time.

It is a fact that Hatha Yoga poses are not enough in themselves, to guarantee eternal fitness. You must be also aware of the need to stick to a proper diet that is based on your lifestyle’s needs. However, even with a proper diet, if you do not condition yourself to have the right frame of mind, then your health will still suffer.

Keep in Mind What Your Hatha Yoga Fitness Goals Are

At the end of the day, it is crucial to your well-being to remember that as far as your fitness goals are concerned – you are not just your body. You are not just flesh and blood. You are also your mind and your spirit. Therefore, you should focus on all three aspects and give them the nurturing they need.

And that’s what Hatha Yoga poses can help you to accomplish. Go now to MyFitnessNut.com and subscribe to the Newsletter and get access to a total of 77 Hatha Yoga Videos containg 70 yoga pose demonstrations to help get you started. And if you haven’t read the whole Hatha Yoga Training Guide you can go back and start at the beginning, then prepare to begin reaching your Hatha Yoga fitness goals.

Namaste is a greeting that is usually shared among students and the yoga teacher at the beginning and completion of each yoga class. It is a very special greeting which is literally saying – bow (nama) – I (as) – you (te), or in ordinary English “I bow to you.”

The “you” that’s given reverence in this greeting is not what is seen on the surface. If you, for example, happen to be a much appreciated and talented Chef de Cuisine of a popular and high-end restaurant, the yoga instructor is not being reverential to you, in your role as an accomplished Chef.

Your occupation has nothing to do with the reverence being given. Neither is the instructor being reverential to you, based on your gender. Saying Namaste has no bearing on whether you are male or female. It also has no connection to your age, whether you are a teenager, a young adult, or a senior citizen.

In other words, when a fellow yoga student or a yoga master says “Namaste” to you, human-erected and defined social-economic and cultural barriers are bypassed. It is the integral you, the inner you, the real you which is being greeted with pure respect.

Connecting with the Divine

It is amazing how such a simple phrase communicates a profound sense of respect for one another, a connection that emanates from what is acknowledged as the Divine Spark of Life. Again, if this sounds a little too metaphysical for your taste, you need to remember at this point that yoga is an ordinary fitness tool. It is not simply concerned with your physical health and well-being.

As this guide has described in various articles, yoga, particularly Hatha Yoga, is all about achieving a balance between mind, body, and spirit through workouts that incorporate meditation, breathing, and poses.

The underlying principles are simple and clear:

1. When your mind does not function well, your body and spirit are affected and as a result, they also will not function well.
2. When your body has ailments or injuries, it brings pressure on the mind and can cripple the spirit.
3. When your spirit or true inner self is troubled, your mind gets cluttered and your thought processes become awry, and as a result, the welfare of your body could become neglected.

Namaste yoga, which is an offshoot of Hatha Vinyasa yoga, seeks to address the imbalance, initially through the greeting of “I bow to you” which immediately negates the ego of either the student or teacher from sowing discord in the yoga class.

Namaste Yoga – Hands to the Heart

The typical Namaste pose involves putting the palms together, in front of where the heart is approximately located. The eyes are closed and a short bow is done. Another way is to assume again the praying position of the hands, and raise to the center of the forehead, where your “third eye” is supposed to be located, then gently moved to the heart before bowing. In Hindu belief, the third eye is the invisible sense organ that allows you to see or perceive things that are hidden from ordinary or normal vision.

Namaste Yoga for Energy Flow

The Namaste greeting figuratively clears the air before each yoga session. The greetings helps to lay the foundation for the release of positive energy. After the Namaste greeting, various Sun Salutation poses can be done. Check out the videos for more details and demonstrations about these salutation poses.

Closing the Session in Peace with Namaste Yoga

After the yoga class, it is customary to once again go through the Namaste greeting. Only, this time, instead of a welcoming sort of gesture, it is now a kind of grateful blessing conferred on you.

Saying and performing Namaste at the end of a yoga class is believed to heighten the levels of calmness, mental keenness, and physical well-being that were developed through the exercise of yoga posing. Be sure to grab access to the Namaste pose video as well as the other 69 Hatha Yoga videos when you subscribe to the the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter and start enjoying fitness the Hatha Yoga way. Lastly, we’ll wrap up this guide helping you to get started achieving your Hatha Yoga fitness goals in the final chapter.

There are numerous things that delineate the differences between the cultures of the West and the East, and among the more highly interesting ones is the dissimilarity of perspectives regarding death.

The West views death as the complete cessation of someone’s physical life. in such a belief system, life is a one-shot deal and death is the final equalizer. Meanwhile, many in the East, particularly those who are followers of Hinduism and Buddhism, believe in a cycle of death and rebirth.

This latter belief is most likely one of the reasons why many in the East do not see death as something strange and to be feared. On the contrary, for those who believe in the death and rebirth cycle, death is a mere portal, a transition from one state of being to the other, with numerous possibilities for the continuation of life, albeit in another state of existence.

Shavashana yoga internalizes the effort to open up to a world of possibilities. It is literally translated as Corpse Pose. Another name for Shavashana is Mrtasana, directly translated as ‘death pose,’ which stems from the base form of the pose and mirrors the position of one who is already dead (physically).

Qualities of the Shavashana Yoga Pose

Shavashana yoga is a form of meditation. Although considered to be the ‘easiest’ pose in yoga, there are still variants and modifications to this pose because of the understanding that not everyone understands what comfort is, in the same manner. Comfort is main factor of this pose. As a form of stress relief, Shavashana helps the body and mind to synchronize and reset itself from any internal or external form of stress.

Towards the achievement of optimum results, focus is essential in Shavashana. Integrate the same level of focus into your daily routine, to help your body become rejuvenated, before continuing on to meet the everyday stresses of your life.

Here’s a Vidoe Demonstration of the Shavashana Yoga Pose

Benefits of the Shavashana Yoga Pose

• Mental – the Shavashana Pose improves overall concentration, trains the mind to stay calm even when panic is already ensuing all around, increases your capacity to focus, lessens the incidence of anxiety attacks.
• Physical – the Shavashana Pose is able to control heart rate and respiration. It loosens tense, bunched-up muscles and lowers blood pressure.
• Spiritual – the Shavashana Pose allows the inner self to get in touch with concepts that are tied up with possibilities, or realities that are, as of yet, non-existing. By freeing the mind anxiety and stress, a whole world of pleasurable creativity is released within you.

Safety Alert

Shavashana Yoga is often so pleasurable to weary yogis seeking relief such that they sometimes fall asleep! When you’re performing this pose, try to soften your jaw and feel the heightened sense of your hearing. Initiate a heightened sense of withdrawal to get as relaxed as possible.

Avoid any wrestling of thoughts while trying to avoid sleeping, as this is one of the many distractions that you may encounter.

This pose is not recommended for people with back injuries that have not yet fully healed. Pregnant women who do this yoga exercise are also reminded to use props such as a rolled-up blanket to slightly elevate the head while lying down in order to avoid possible dizziness.

You have now learned about one of the most relaxing yoga poses there is; Shavashana Yoga. Use the demonstration video to see this pose in action, if you really want to call it action. It’s more likely you’ll have to resist falling asleep if you’re the least bit tired when you decide to practice it. Go ahead and subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to get your hands on all 70 yoga videos. Next up, we’ll dive into “Namaste Yoga” and connect with the diving spark of life.